Telehealth Expansion Act of 2019

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5257 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5257

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a program 
          to be known as the ``Expanding Telehealth Program''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 22, 2019

Mr. Cox of California introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a program 
          to be known as the ``Expanding Telehealth Program''.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Telehealth Expansion Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING TELEHEALTH PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall establish a program to be 
known as the ``Expanding Telehealth Program''.
    (b) Purposes of Program.--The purposes of the Program are--
            (1) to support connected care services for low-income 
        individuals, individuals residing in rural areas, and veterans 
        through telehealth services and health care providers;
            (2) to defray the costs of internet services to health care 
        providers to provide connected care services to low-income 
        individuals, individuals residing in rural areas, and veterans 
        with conditions such as behavioral health conditions, opioid 
        dependency, chronic health conditions (such as diabetes, kidney 
        disease, heart disease, stroke recovery, and traumatic brain 
        injury), mental health conditions, cancer, and high-risk 
        pregnancies;
            (3) to promote innovative telehealth services technologies 
        by empowering health care providers to connect directly with 
        patients; and
            (4) to gather data and information on medical conditions, 
        transitions of care services, telehealth services, and health 
        care provider resources or needs that may be considered in 
        potential reforms needed to improve the efficiency or 
        effectiveness of the Program.
    (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
establishment of the Program, the Commission shall submit to 
congressional committees of jurisdiction a report on the impacts of the 
Program on access to health care services, improvements in the health 
status of patients, and the cost-effectiveness of the Program. The 
report shall also include recommendations to Congress on policy reforms 
needed or ways to improve telehealth services, including telehealth 
services provided to low-income individuals, individuals residing in 
rural areas, veterans, and other underserved populations.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission.
            (2) Internet service.--The term ``internet service'' has 
        the meaning given the term ``broadband internet access 
        service'' in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal 
        Regulations (or any successor regulation).
            (3) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Expanding 
        Telehealth Program established under subsection (a).
            (4) Transitions of care services.--The term ``transitions 
        of care services'' means the movement of a patient from one 
        setting of care to another setting of care, including settings 
        of care such as hospitals, ambulatory primary care practices, 
        ambulatory specialty care practices, long-term care facilities, 
        home health, and rehabilitation facilities.
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